Estylwen

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

The new posts look great! It's finals week here, so I'm going to be a bit delayed with the timeskip post. I'm going to aim to have it out after finals, so around the 28th to the 30th, if that's alright. :>

Umbra: The Abyssal Connection

New post is uuup!

Umbra: The Abyssal Connection

Outside Ghost Corps’ Headquarters

_{@SporkoBug, @Herald}

---

“Keep the General under wraps yeah? I’ll look after them, you have my words.”

Wren

Le Frey sniffled a bit, offering a firm handshake back to Wren, before pulling him into a warm half-hug, clapping him on the shoulder.

”Make me proud, captain. I'm gonna miss you.” He said.

Then Mimi came over, pressing their head into Le Frey gently. His hesitation wasn't long, reaching down to pet Mimi's head. ”Inu would say us Wilds gotta stick together, right?” He said, smiling behind his mask. ”Be safe, alright?”

VV glanced over at Mimi and Ebony, satisfied with their responses. They also seemed to be getting along nicely anyway. And Ebony seemed like an alright kid.

”Alright. Meanwhile we'll all make sure you two stay safe.”

”This is giving you anxiety. Sweet, delicious anxiety.” The entity thought within her.

VV merely rolled her eyes. ”I'll keep ‘em safe, it's no biggie.”

”Riiiight…”

"But Mimi and Wren stuck up for the fallaways, and even put up with my sarcastic shi- crap. So if they say you're going, this is the last complaint you'll hear from me about this.”

Val

VV nodded. ”It's not ideal, but we have, what, four adult black hearts here? Two of which have training. We'll be fine. Plus we have the convoy. The General isn't letting us go part of the way without some back-up.”

”Aside from that, it's time we were on the move.”

Val

VV followed after him, gesturing to the rest of the group. ”Agreed. Let's get outta here, guys.”

---

Ehlm City, Approaching the Central Spectral Woods

_{@Herald, @SporkoBug, @Qia}

---

They had been driving hard for the past five hours over weathered, dusty desert terrain. The broken skyscrapers and towering blue trees of Ehlm approached rapidly, and soon the convoy found themselves in the thick of it. High skyscrapers on all sides, navigating abandoned, decrepit vehicles while maintaining a good speed.

That's when they noticed the stacked burning barrels blocking their path forward, sending noxious fumes into the red sky.

”That's strange…” The driver commented, before muttering into his walkie. ”Obstacle ahead, rerouting to the right, all personnel be aware.”

However, as he turned to the right onto a stretch of street with tall towers on either side, there was a screech of tires and the revving of engines. Turning abruptly around the corners from their front and back were two groups of vehicles, effectively blocking the convoy from moving forward or backward.

Men stepped out of the vehicles, aiming RPGs at the convoy.

And, at their front, out stepped an unknown player, tattooed up with a gas mask. Those with street smarts would recognize him as the boss of the Red Embers.

From their back, out stepped a very pissed looking Vin Maul of the Bears, rifle in his hands.

And, trotting in to stand beside Savio Teq, was a pack of Mimicraptors, notably including Stalker and Roose.

Savio raised a hand, calling the attention of the convoy. ”Alright! I want all ya'll out of the vehicles nice and easy! Else these little RPGs are gonna get acquainted with ya real fast. No funny business, and put your rifles on the ground!”

The Ghost Corp driver turned to Val and the group, speaking in a low voice. ”How do you want to play this?”

Umbra: The Abyssal Connection

Slight delay on my end, it'll be up tomorrow. :>

Iris Ascendis

Apologies for the delay! ^^;

Iris Ascendis

---

Wingram Clinic -> Girls’ Dorm
_{In collaboration with @Nanaya and @Psyker Landshark}

---

Ciara took a breath to steady herself, careful not to move as the mannekin kept staring at her, before she called from her bed. "Doctor? Doctor Sylv?"

The clacking of footsteps echoed down the halls, before eventually closing in and entering into room 106. Exhaustion took Sylv's body as she hobbled in unsteadily, but stoicism remained on her face as she popped a caffeine pill. "I suppose it would be time for you to disembark, soon. What do you require?"

Ciara grimaced a bit. She was trying not to think of it, but alas, the tension in her gut wouldn't shake free. Instead, she focused on her request, allowing her anxiety to show on her face.

"Is it... alright if I take a shower and change? Better to face this looking presentable, at least."

She glanced at her clothes, tattered and bloody remains.

The doctor's head tilted as if in confusion. "You will have several days and an evening to appear presentable. Though if you speak of the blood and cloth scraps, then yes, that is understandable," she would reason with hand to chin, looking towards the mannekin surrounding the shadow mage. "Though you will be accompanied by them throughout the process. Even with the ring, you are still deemed a threat of the nation. Privacy is not a privilege you will be allowed, at least not until the conclusion of your judgment.”

Ciara winced. "I understand that, and I agree. I'm... I'm not gonna try anything funny.

"So I can go, then? With their escort?"

"You may," she would respond bluntly, stepping out of the doorway and gesturing for Ciara to proceed. The mannekin would follow, spears gripped and crossbows loaded.

Ciara traveled from the clinic surrounded by her escorts. It was… unsettling, to say the least. Humiliating, to say the most. Ciara made a point to keep her eyes on the ground, avoiding anyone else's gaze as she moved from the clinic to the girls dorms. Lucky for her, not many were out at this early hour. Not even the sun was up yet.

As Ciara padded down the hallway in her tattered, bloody clothes, nullification ring affixed to her finger, her thoughts drew back to her fight with Iraleth. What would she think of her now?

Hand on the door to their shared dorm room, Ciara hovered outside for far too long, causing the mannekin to stir restlessly and urge her on. Ciara procured a key, unlocked the door, and stepped inside.

”...Iraleth…?”

She should have seen this coming. In all the chaos of the last few days, Iraleth had damned near forgotten that Ciara was supposed to be rooming with her. That was what had started all of this nonsense, after all.

Iraleth didn’t turn from where she stood standing in front of the dormitory’s suddenly-shut window, looking out at the storm on the horizon.

”Ciara.” Iraleth grunted curtly, pointedly not looking at her. ”Hildegunde hasn’t been back yet. Not a clue where she’s been since class ended.”

Ciara immediately felt her heart sink at Iraleth's voice. She hovered at the door, lips pursing, before she sighed. If she was going to her death, she didn't have a reason to hide anything. Iraleth should know. She would figure out on her own anyway.

”I… found Hildegunde in the floors of the tower. I…”

A long, shaky breath. Her tongue felt like lead, but she willed it to move.

”I attacked her.”

Iraleth didn’t move from her spot. Her sword was an arm’s lengths away, sheathed and propped up against the side of her bed. No armor. Only a tunic and trousers. She paused. Exhaled. Still didn’t turn around.

”You’re making a poor case for yourself. Are you hoping that I’ll preempt the court’s judgment? Save you the humiliation while dishonoring myself?”

Her tone was monotone. Dead still. She folded her arms, still looking outside.

Ciara's temper flared up a little. She didn't want to die. Certainly not an early death. Before her eyes slid to the sheathed sword, and her bravado dispersed. Iraleth certainly could do exactly that, and who knows what the mannekin would do in response. They probably wouldn't kill Iraleth in response… Not for her.

The mannekin hovered impatiently at her side, and she entered the room, moving to her luggage, the mannekin surrounding her all the while. As she was rummaging around for new clothes, she spoke.

”I guess… You can do what you want. But I at least want to apologize. I acted out of line. You don't have to accept it, but if this really is the end, it should be said.”

”Tch.” A crack formed in Iraleth’s composure as she gnashed her teeth. ”Out of line is a very, very generous interpretation of what happened today.” She turned to face Ciara at last, her arms still folded. If nothing else, the paladin wasn’t intending to reach for her sword. Yet.

”I am not the one you ought to apologize to. I knew full well what I was stepping into when I accepted the challenge. If you wish to express regret, do so to everyone you harmed during your rampage that had no way of seeing this travesty coming. Like the janitor.”

A thought came to Iraleth’s mind: the note. The janitor lies? If there was ever a time to press for information about him, this was it.

”The one person who expressed any measure of support for you, by all accounts. And this is how you repay that. Who was he, anyway? I’ve not heard so much as his name.”

Ciara appeared quite admonished at first, then a sorrowful kind of regret. There was a long lapse of silence as she picked out three outfits, two of which were placed in a travel bag, one of which was slung over her arm, along with a towel.

”...His name is Michael.” She said softly. ”He's… my friend. And he's not just a janitor. There's something about him.”

She thought of the unbridled dimension of hatred she saw in him, as he looked at her, really looked at her.

”...He treats me nicely. Nicer than anyone has. When I see him next, I'm gonna beg for his forgiveness.” She said finally, closing her luggage case and slowly standing.

Of course, Iraleth wasn’t about to let Ciara just leave, for a multitude of reasons. Someone had to keep an eye on her. She didn’t trust that the witch wouldn’t try to find a way to spring loose if someone gave her even a modicum of hope, much less removed the ring. But most of all…

”...Where are you going? These are your quarters.” The half-elf turned to sit down on her bed, pulling her knees up to her chin. ”I doubt anyone else is going to offer you shelter, and you can’t sleep outside until your trial. The only reasonable course of action for you is to stay.”

Should she tell her? Loathe as Iraleth was to let Ciara in at this point…what could it hurt? At worst, Ciara would be dead in a week. Astra damn her, she was taking another gamble.

Iraleth let an aggrieved sigh loose before speaking once more. ”Before you arrived, there was a note under my pillow. ‘This isn’t over: the janitor lies’. The ink disappeared not long after. Someone broke in just to deliver that. As little as you know of him, that still makes you the best one among us to have any inkling of what’s going on. And considering the Umbralist that attacked in the midst of all the chaos, I’m inclined to believe that someone’s taken advantage of all of this for their own agenda.”

Ciara paused, watching the shift in Iraleth's mannerisms, before she too, slowly sank on her own bed. She didn't have much choice but to cooperate in this case, anyway.

”I read his aura, once. I still don't understand what I saw, but he felt… ancient. Or a part of him felt ancient. And he had so much… hatred in him. We had similar grudges, similar pains.

“I felt… understood.” She said finally.

Before she shrugged the clothes on her arm. ”And uh, I was hoping to shower before we go. Feel kinda grimey. These mannekin will be watching me, if you were worried about that…” She gestured to the wooden warriors in their circle around her.

Iraleth fell silent at Ciara’s words, taking the time to think them over. A surviving, disguised Umbralist? Perhaps. It fit with the profile Ciara was giving her. Then again, she had to consider the motive of whomever sent the note. Even if it were true, why leave it up to her when the Wingram staff were, at present, still more able? Something didn’t add up about any of this.

The paladin nodded absentmindedly at Ciara’s mention of a shower, waving her off while still looking in on herself, brow furrowed.

Ciara took that as her cue, and she departed from their dorms, making a straight line for the showers. Indeed it was true, any amount of privacy she would have had when the mannekin filed into the cubicle with her had vanished. Ciara tried to keep her face neutral, cranking the hot water and shaking off the residue of drugs in her system.

The soak felt nice,but it didn't quite touch the chill in her heart. Today she was headed to, well,it wasn't the capital, but it was fairly close in terms of power. Had never actually been there before. And, in this unknown place, she was walking to what could be her death.

Ciara grimaced. Then she thought of her classmates. Who betrayed who first? …Probably her, if she was being honest. So she couldn't fault their actions.

There was no use being angry at any of them. Not now. Not with so much at stake. In fact, they had every right to be upset with her. She imagined the dark one didn't care much. But Chunji, he was more emotional than he gave himself credit for, with a strong sense of justice.

Both of them deserved an apology, when she had the chance.

Ciara pursed her lips, turning off the water and toweling off. A brush was run through her black hair, and she affixed her outfit for the day. A white blouse and a patterned brown full-length skirt. And, a red ribbon tied at her neck.

The mannekin were urging her on again, so she grabbed her remaining items and departed from the shower room, walking down the hall and sitting in their shared dorm with Iraleth. And there she waited, travel bag scrunched in her grasp, thoughts on what awaited her in Vaal Nero.

Nocturnal Memoirs: An Urban-Fantasy Mafia Epic

You betcha, new menu item. ;) Pairs nicely with a Noc Noc shake!

Nocturnal Memoirs: An Urban-Fantasy Mafia Epic

This is hungry work, I tell ya- xD

Nocturnal Memoirs: An Urban-Fantasy Mafia Epic

@flux OH HECK YA LETS GO-

Speaking of which, im making hashbrowns, anyone want some?

Nocturnal Memoirs: An Urban-Fantasy Mafia Epic

The collab is AMAZING! Thoroughly enjoyed reading that. :>

Also, this:

William Hawkeye

William Hawkeye

36 | He/him | Command Sergeant Major / Military

Description: He is the highest ranked military official posted at the Wall surrounding Nocturnia. He is the one that overseas and ensures aid distribution into the city. To the press, this is all he does. A magnanimous presence there to keep the world safe from the ‘dangers’ of the city.

The real story, though? He overseas many other highly classified operations, such as sending covert militants to gain intelligence from the city. Another covert operation is the controlled kidnapping of children for experimental purposes, one example being Specialist Snow Frostfare.

His day-to-day is often in meetings with the other high ranks in conference rooms just beyond the Wall. His word is final, except if the Sergeant Major of the Army decides to pay the Wall a visit.

Gyft: ???